There Is No Military Solution To Kashmir Issue: US Rights Group…….

There is no military solution to the Kashmir dispute and Indian forces will have to leave, President of the US-based World Kashmir Awareness Forum Dr Ghulam N Mir said.

Peace could not be achieved in the region until Kashmir was demilitarized and a plebiscite was held under the UN supervision, he said speaking at the 55th Annual Convention of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) held in Chicago.

He said that Kashmir did not need Indian interference and denying the right of sovereignty to millions of Kashmiri people was a travesty of justice. “It violates the letter and intent of the UN charter. By refusing to implement the UN Security Council resolutions, India violates its international obligation,” Dr Mir said at the convention that ended
on Monday. Past ISNA conventions have been attended by international dignitaries like President Jimmy Carter and President Khatami of Iran.

The UN resolutions “demand cessation of the military actions, demilitarization and allowing the people of Kashmir to decide their future through an unfettered referendum, or plebiscite under UN supervision,” he said.

Dr Mir said that Kashmir was by far the most consequential political blunder the Indian government had made. India never anticipated its catastrophic consequences, he added.

He said that the blunder made by India by occupying Kashmir had
led to three major wars and it could even lead to a more devastating
war in future. “Only, the next time around, it may not be a conventional
war but a nuclear holocaust, a war of mutual annihilation, a war of
mutually assured destruction,” he added.

“So, what are the Kashmiris under occupation thinking? What do
they want? What would they settle for by way of a solution to their
future? All you have to do is to read the news stories from Kashmir.

Read New York Times, BBC News and Guardian, just to name a few,” he
said alluding to the spate of ongoing fierce anti-India protests in the occupied valley.

“You will get an idea. 70 years on, Indian is nowhere close to silencing the voices and screams for freedom. It is not even close. Kashmiris have no choice but to hang tough, keep making the sacrifices,
keep hope for the best solution to emerge,” he said.

“There is no military solution to Kashmir issue. Indian forces have
to leave,” Dr Mir said. “Peace cannot come until Kashmir is
demilitarized and a plebiscite held under UN supervision.”

Kashmiri American Council President Professor (Dr) Imtiaz Khan
described the historical facts about Kashmir and said that the
Kashmiri people were promised their right of self-determination so as
to allow them to choose whether they want to go to India, or Pakistan
or remain independent. “These international agreements were never
fulfilled until today,” he added.

“The presence of millions of people on the streets of Kashmir
cannot be termed as extremists or terrorist. The massive peaceful demonstration has been reflection of the indigenous nature of the
Kashmiri resistance movement,” he added.

“The world powers need to intervene in setting a stage for the resolution of Kashmir before the two nuclear states of India and Pakistan indulge in full-fledged war which will be a monumental
disaster that will engulf not only the region but large part of
the world,” Dr Khan concluded.

Now the time has come when world community particularly UNO has to come forward with a solution that satisfies both nuclear powers and ensure the permanent peace in the region.